We had the good fortune of connecting with Britni Gallello and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Britni, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I’m a firm believer in the saying “no risk, no reward.” When you think about it, some of the greatest inventions and companies were forged because someone took the risk, quit their day-job, and followed their dreams. There have been several times in my career where I took a risk and moved from a job I was perfectly comfortable in because I knew I wanted to do more. There were even times where former bosses told me I was making a “huge mistake”. While some of those moves and risks I took didn’t turn out the way I had planned, I don’t regret a single one. Looking back, those were the moments where I grew the most. I have learned a lot about myself through some of those challenges and risks I took, and am really happy with where I am in my career currently because of them.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am currently the Vice President of Media at RealWorld Marketing. The biggest hurdle for me throughout the years, to be honest, was my age. While I have never let my age hold me back from going after what I want, it’s been something I’ve often felt I needed to hide or overcompensate for. Having less experience than others, but still being a trusted leader sometimes feels like an oxymoron. As I grow further in my career, I am learning that while people may disagree with you in your position due to your age, you can win the right ones over and earn their support. Good leadership doesn’t have an age requirement. It requires strong emotional intelligence, empathy for others, and an ability to listen. As others start their career and as I’ve coached graduating seniors, this always comes up as part of my advice: don’t let others tell your story for you, and don’t let your age hold you back from going after what you know you can do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend coming to visit, these are a few of my favorite places: Nico Heirloom Kitchen in Gilbert – all of their food is WOW, and the atmosphere is incredible. Creamistry for dessert after dinner at Nico. Can you really beat ice cream that’s made right in front of you? Assuming the weather was nice out, we would go for a hike around South Mountain, and to Tempe to walk around Mill Avenue and Tempe Town Lake. To get our Chinese food fix, we’d visit the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant “Chou’s Kitchen”. They have the BEST dumplings outside of Taiwan. My favorite place to get a good workout in is Burn Boot Camp Ahwatukee. Given all the eating we would be doing, we would definitely need to stay active, Finally, we would need to visit FnB in Old Town Scottsdale so we can drink some good AZ wine and eat some of the best food in town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people, groups, or books I could mention here. The last few months have been interesting, to say the least. There are two women with whom I have grown to rely on during this time; Lynze Schuman and Kirsten Markson. The three of us worked together at a previous company, and I have been even more inspired by their passion, resilience, and leadership while we all figure out what our new normal looks like. These two have taught me so much about becoming the right kind of leader; one that leads with empathy and has a focus on equality in all ways. I am so grateful for them, and I hope we get to take the world on together one day.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britnigallello/

Image Credits
David Gallello